National Urban League Conference
July 25-28, 2007A national honor was bestowed on Dred and Harriet Scott at the 2007 National Convention of the Urban League in St. Louis. The convention was kicked off at the Old Court House with a press conference recognizing the contribution to civil rights by the Scotts and the presentation of the Proclamation declaring July 25, 2007 — DRED SCOTT DAY IN ALL IT'S URBAN LEAGUE COMMUNITIES — Praise to the Scotts!
A scorching St. Louis sun greeted Morial, Jim Buford, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis president, and other dignitaries on Wednesday afternoon when they and other dignitaries honored Dred and Harriett Scott on the steps of the Old Courthouse.
Lynne Jackson, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Dred Scott spoke on behalf of her ill father and late, historic relatives.
“This recognition by the Urban League goes first and foremost to my father. He carried the torch for Dred and Harriet Scott for 50 years,” she said.
“They came up the steps on the (east) side of this building seeking justice. Today, this courthouse helps us to focus on what we want to do in the future.”
Jackson said she is working to establish a Dred Scott educational center and said, “the commemoration of Dred and Harriet Scott will not end with the close of this 150th anniversary year of the famous case.”
Morial said, “We come not to honor the case. We come not to honor this courthouse. We come to honor the courage - the courage of two people to file a federal lawsuit asking the nation to respect the words of its constitution.”
Morial called the Dred Scott case and Old Courthouse ‘a lighthouse in the battle for justice.”
Contributions Courtesy of St. Louis American Newspaper